First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to brief Whitehall mandarins on the SNP's expensive shopping list should the party hold the balance of power in a hung parliament

Nicola Sturgeon has demanded talks with the UK's top civil servants ahead of the election, sparking claims that Scottish Nationalist MPs are 'preparing' to enter government at Westminster.

The First Minister wants to brief Whitehall mandarins on the SNP's expensive shopping list should the party hold the balance of power in a hung parliament.

It is tradition for civil servants to meet opposition politicians who could form the next government before an election, allowing them to prepare for sudden policy changes.

Miss Sturgeon wants to prop up Ed Miliband in Downing Street, even if Labour is the second largest party after the Tories.

The most likely scenario would be a confidence-and-supply arrangement rather than a formal left-wing coalition – but that has not been categorically ruled out by either party.

In return, the First Minister would make a series of unrealistic demands – such as scrapping the replacement programme for Trident nuclear missiles, a Scottish veto over an in/out EU referendum, and sweeping new powers for Holyrood that would effectively end the Union that over 2million Scots voted to save last year.

She has also said she also wants an extra £180billion to be spent over four years on the UK's credit card, derailing plans to cut Britain's deficit.

Miss Sturgeon has now written a letter to UK Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood to ask for talks – which would have to be sanctioned by Prime Minister David Cameron.

She outlines some of the SNP's post-election demands, although Labour pointed out that she fails to mention further powers for Holyrood.

'I am writing with regard to the contact between opposition parties and the civil service prior to General Elections, which has become a standard feature of the UK's democratic processes,' the letter states.

'These meetings - which as you know require to be sanctioned by the Prime Minister - enable an opposition party to brief civil servants on its policy agenda, and gain deeper understanding of the systems of policy delivery in Whitehall.'

It adds: 'The SNP programme includes a substantial alternative to the austerity cuts supported by the UK Westminster parties, cancelling the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system, and a requirement that each and every constituent nation of the UK would have to vote to leave the European Union in any in/out referendum before the UK could exit.

'These and other policies which we will seek to advance in the next parliament are obviously of UK-wide application, and I believe that the Whitehall system would benefit from becoming more familiar with our propositions.'

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Miss Sturgeon has now written a letter to UK Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood (pictured) to ask for talks – which would have to be sanctioned by Prime Minister David Cameron

Asked if the coalition will give the SNP access to the civil service, Commons leader William Hague yesterday told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: 'That will be up to the Cabinet Secretary.

'We are a very democratic county and we do indeed open up to opposition parties. We benefited from that before the last election.

'Those decisions are generally up to the senior civil servants and it's not up to the Government in power whether to deny any cooperation or planning to people on the other side of politics so that is up to them.

'But I think this does illustrate a very important point - the SNP are preparing for that and Labour will not deny they will enter into a coalition with the SNP.'

A Labour insider said Miss Sturgeon 'will get the brush off from the civil service'.

'Random politicians can't just turn up at talks,' said the source.

Commons leader William Hague stressed that any decision to open up the civil service to the SNP would be made by the Cabinet Secretary

A Scottish Labour spokesman added: 'In her letter Nicola Sturgeon has chosen not to mention her number one priority in the general election – ending the Barnett formula so Scottish spending is only supported by Scottish taxes.

'Binning Barnett would cost Scotland billions so perhaps it is no surprise that he SNP have decided to keep quiet about but the people Scotland deserve to know that SNP plans would put public services and pensions at risk. '

SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie said: 'I think it makes perfect sense for the civil service to look at our manifesto when it's published so if there is a deal to be done, if there's discussions to be had, then they can be done on a proper professional technical level in terms of how we might be able to support a minority Labour administration.'

A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office said: 'We can confirm that we have received the letter, it is a matter for the Prime Minister and he will respond in due course.'